Southwark

Southwark's population expanded between the last two censuses. Data from the census show there were changes in housing tenure, ethnicity and marriage.

The population passed quarter of a million

In the decade to 2011, the population of Southwark increased by 18%, from almost 245,000 to 288,000.

The addition of about 43,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Southwark was home to, on average, 71 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across London

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across London, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Fall in social renting

This area saw England's second-largest fall in the proportion of socially rented homes.

In 2011, just over 4 in 10 (44%) households in Southwark lived in social housing, compared with 53% in 2001. The percentage of privately rented homes increased from 13% to 24%.

The largest decrease occurred in Tower Hamlets (from 52% to 40%).

The rate of social housing in Southwark decreased by 9.1 percentage points

Percentage of households in Southwark, London and England that rented socially, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Southwark

The number of people in Southwark from the White ethnic groups increased from about 150,000 in 2001 to about 160,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 63% to 54%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across London (from 71% to 60%), but at a slower rate than the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Southwark from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from about 63,000 in 2001 to about 78,000 in 2011 (from 26% to 27%). The number of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 14,000 to about 27,000 (from 5.9% to 9.4%).

Just under 18,000 people (3.7%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from about 9,100 in 2001 (6.2%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Southwark decreased by 8.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Southwark by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Southwark

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Southwark at a faster rate than in nearby Lambeth.

In Southwark, the proportion of single people increased from 50% in 2001 to 55% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Lambeth increased from 56% to 58%.

Across London, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 41% to 44%.

The proportion of married people in Southwark fell from 32% to 29%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner decreased from 13% to 12%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across London

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in London and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Southwark residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.7% to 4.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (85%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 70% in 2001. The percentage of Southwark residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 10%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 8.3% in 2001 to 5.0% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Southwark decreased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Southwark, London and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Southwark

The number of people in Southwark that described themselves as Muslim increased from just under 17,000 in 2001 to about 25,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 6.9% to 8.5% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across London (from 8.5% to 12%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 3.2% to 5.2%).

The number of people in Southwark that described themselves as Christian remained close to 150,000 between the last two censuses (from 62% to 53% of the population). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from about 45,000 to about 77,000 (from 19% to 27%).

About 25,000 people (9.9%) did not state their religion, up from about 24,000 in 2001 (8.5%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Muslim in Southwark increased by 1.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Southwark by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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